biology
Effect of Temperature on Escape Velocity in
Pimephales promelas
Presenters: Amanda Dick, Lesley Bright, Kelsey Wright,
and Michelle Pardue
Faculty Advisor: J.R. Kerfoot
With the amount of invasive fish in the United
States ever increasing, it was increasingly important to
understand the effect of them on indigenous fish. This
research explored the effect of temperature on indigenous
prey escape velocity from an invasive predator species.
The predator species, Astronotus ocellatus, was used
because it was an invasive species that was new to the
United States and its small thermal tolerance range. The
prey species, Pimephales promelas was used because of
its widespread distribution in the United States and wide
thermal tolerance range which allowed escape at low
temperatures. As the temperature increased, the prey
entered into the thermal tolerance range of the predator
and was eaten. Escape velocity of Pimephales promelas
was measured at three different temperatures (20, 22,
and 24°C) and compared. Preliminary results indicated
that Pimephales promelas was able to evade Astronotus
ocellatus due to its wider thermal tolerance.

are dependent upon the organism’s ability to function
efficiently within the novel environment. Astronotus
ocellatus are ectotherms of an invasive nature. They
are native to Amazonian regions, but they also have a
known presence in southern Florida. Their presence
causes a problem for the native species in regards to
competition for food. However, due to the colder
environment, Astronotus ocellatus may not thrive as
well in the southern United States. This study sought to
investigate the influence of temperature and prey type on
the attack velocity of this invasive predator. Does the
environmental temperature effect the predator’s ability
to capture prey? Does the predator favor a certain prey
type over another in a temperature critical environment?
During this study, A. ocellatus were introduced to two
different temperature critical environments, hot and cold.
They were also given two different prey types, elusive and
non-elusive. The attack velocity of each predator was
measured via the use of a high-speed camera. Based on
results from the Kruskal-Wallis Test, the null hypothesis
was not rejected, due to the p-value not being in the
5% range needed for rejection of the null hypothesis.
Therefore, attack velocity and prey type do not vary due
to temperature changes in the environment.
Can Mechanical Pitching Flaws Be Corrected?
Presenter: Jared Davis
Faculty Advisor: Andy Madison

The Effect on Attach Velocity and Prey Type of
Astronotus ocellatus
Presenters: Betsy McCarter, Ashleigh Green,
and Emily Bailey
Faculty Advisor: J.R. Kerfoot
Animal populations, wildlife habitats, and ecosystems
are all effected by invasive species, which can have
detrimental effects on the native ecosystem. The
ability of an invasive organism to survive novel regions

4

UNION UNIVERSITY FALL POSTER SESSION

Many arm injuries in baseball are due to bad pitching
mechanics. Normally, pitching flaws are fixed by
observing pitchers with the naked eye. In this research,
28 pitchers had their pitching mechanics analyzed by a
biomechanical analysis at the American Sports Medicine
Institute (ASMI) in Birmingham, Alabama. The
biomechanical analysis focused in on 6 key components
of the pitching delivery: stride foot, external rotation at
foot contact, trunk rotation timing, maximum external
rotation (MER), front knee flexion, and shoulder
abduction at ball release. Pitchers were tested twice,
and upon receiving their second biomechanical analysis
were classified into one of the following categories:
maintained, declined, fixed, improved, or did not fix the
problem. Pitchers who fell into the “maintained” category

were already pitching optimally during their first
evaluation. Based on the total number under each
category, it was possible to see whether or not the
biomechanical analysis helped in fixing the pitching
flaws and also which flaws were harder to fix than
others. Of the pitchers who were initially out of the
optimal range after their first testing, 70% improved
upon their stride foot mechanics, 64% improved on
external rotation at foot contact, 65% improved on
their trunk rotation timing, 29% improved on their
MER, 57% improved on their front knee flexion,
and 71% of the pitchers improved on their shoulder
abduction at ball release. At the end of the study,
most pitchers fixed or improved on the flaws they
were instructed to fix after their first analysis. The
flaw which was hardest to fix was increasing MER,
which is understandable due to each participantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
individual physical make-up.
Effectiveness of Thermal Imaging in Wild
Turkey Surveys
Presenter: Taylor Maylott
Faculty Advisor: Andy Madison
Wildlife management is necessary for many
species, including wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo).
An important aspect of wildlife management is
assessing population size. Many methods have been
used for estimating population size or density, one
of which is the use of thermal imaging or infrared
video technology. Population densities of whitetailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) can be reliably
estimated from surveys using helicopter-mounted
infrared video. Our objective was to determine if the
same method could be used to successfully estimate
wild turkey population size. It had been postulated
that since turkeys gather together in large roosts
overnight that these could be spotted using thermal
imaging cameras. Flights using fixed-mounted
thermal imaging cameras were performed on the
Milan Army Ammunition Plant (MAAP) over a
series of 4 nights in January 2012. The videos were
extensively analyzed, where an attempt was made to
count and identify to species any animal observed.
Cows, deer, turkeys, and unknown animals were
observed throughout the study site, but turkeys only
accounted for ~5% of the total number of animals
observed. In addition, no turkey roost site was
identified. Animal size, excessive habitat cover,
and species behavioral characteristics may all play a
factor in the low numbers of turkeys observed. It was
determined that this method is not an appropriate
means of estimating turkey populations. n

UNION UNIVERSITY FALL POSTER SESSION

5

nursing
The Wit Project: Death is Your Friend
Presenter: Sanober Noorani
Faculty Advisor: Brad Harrell
My creation is inspired by the movie and poem
because it has many similar themes from both of them.
At various points in the poem the author refers to death
as temporary, a means to an end for example “One short
sleep past, we wake eternally,” (Donne, 1631) similar
is my belief about death. In my poem I tried to portray
death as a trail to reach God al-mighty “Take you to
your true King; your journey has came to an end” I also
believe that if one changes their perspective of death,
then death can become your friend. My religious doctrine
preaches the purpose of life is to be united with God after
death; my soul was separated when I was given life and
it longs to reach God. This concept is reflected in my
poem towards the end when I refer to death as a path to
meet the soul. John Donne, from his poem, also believed
in eternity, thus he must believe in life after death and
death being the last journey our life takes. Vivian Bearing
was the main character of the movie Wit, she would
reminisce her life before being hospitalization throughout
the movie. She would remember the good moments
and the bad moments. In the beginning she recalled
general events from her life, then as time passed on she
remembered all the mistakes she made in her past, lastly
she remembered good moments of her past for example
her childhood with her dad. The closer we get to our
time of death, God helps us let go of things and people.
He wants us to enter this last trip with good thoughts

6

UNION UNIVERSITY FALL POSTER SESSION

and helps us forgive ourselves and others. Ms. Bearing
went through this event of forgiving herself. Towards the
end of the poem I write about “death cleans all… forgive
life and embrace the end” my perspective is when death
approaches leave behind all the mistake and the goodness
of life and take in death like it’s an invitation to meet
God. Some of these concepts sound good philosophically,
but practically it may be tough thus having a positive
outlook is a start and that is my attempt with my creation.
Two nursing implications that come to mind are
dignity and compassion. At the end of the movie when
Ms. Bearing passes away the resident working with her
starts to do CPR without realizing she has a DNR. The
nurse advocates for the patient by trying to get him to
stop, but he ignores her and continues. However, when
the resident finally comes to a realization that he has
done something wrong he tries to make up for it by trying
to offer his help to the nurse, but she refuses him. The
resident’s action takes all dignity away from the patient,
but the nurse tries to restore her dignity by properly
giving end of life care to the patient. Dignity is a human
right and it is the nurses’ duty to preserve it for their
patients. My creation talks about treating death kindly
it is implying that the one dying needs to be treated
with respect and kindness; death is not to be treated in a
demeaning manner. Compassion is demonstrated through
John Donne’s poem when he talks about “Thou’rt slave
to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men.” In this section
he is proclaiming that death is a slave of God, it has no
choice but to follow orders and take with him whoever’s
time is up. Death see’s no difference between a pauper
or king, in the same manner compassion should be equal
for everyone. As a nurse we are taught that we cannot
feel the pain of the patient, but we can understand their
tribulations and offer support. In the movie the nurse
assigned to Ms. Bearing shows compassion when she
sits with her a few minutes to talk. My poem talks about
“kindly we must treat” meaning regardless of the situation
the patient is in or regardless the patients’ identity we
should have compassion towards the patient because
that is gift of God we can deliver to them. The patients
are at their lowest point in the hospital and if a nurse is
empathetic that can make a difference to that patient.

nursing
Not When All is Well
Presenter: Tammy Jeans
Faculty Advisor: Brad Harrell
The movie “Wit” and the poem “Death Be Not Proud”
reshaped my perception of both life and death. I have
come to the realization that the personification of death
was necessary to demonstrate the actual perception of
death. We as mortal beings view death as an imminent
and dreaded fate for us all. However, here death is viewed
as a dependent force that is overcome at the moment of
death when shortly followed by eternal immortality. I am
so much more appreciative of the blood that Christ shed
on Calvary to conquer death itself. My faith is rooted
in the fact that God loved us so much that He gave us
eternal life through His son.
In my poem, “When All is Well”, I attempted to
convey that death is not quickly embraced when it comes
suddenly, but “when all is well”, death can be viewed as a
time of reflection and even a time of peace. I also wanted
to express that wit and wealth are not the most important
aspects of this life on earth. Similarly, in the movie “Wit”,
Vivian Bearing comes to the understanding that she could
have exercised more empathy and compassion during
her life as a professor or English literature. As her disease
progressed, she experienced how it felt to be treated as
a guinea pig or experiment and not a human being with
feelings. However, I do believe that Vivian came to be at
peace with both her life and pending death simultaneously.
There are many nursing practice implications in
agreement with the movie and both poems. The most
significant implication in my opinion is empathy.
It is imperative to understand that empathy should
be considered as a chief cornerstone, not only in
nursing, but in life as well. Empathy is being cognizant,
compassionate, and understanding of a person’s
circumstance. In my opinion, neither life nor death can
be empathetic. However, people can and should strive to
exercise empathy towards everyone.
Another nursing implication of importance is respect.
I believe that our respect for others exemplify the respect
that we have for ourselves. In the movie, the main
character, no matter how unrelenting or apathetic she
may have been in the past, should have been treated with

respect from all hospital staff. Instead, she was treated
merely as a research project.
Throughout this journey I have learned so much.
However, after watching the movie and reading the
associated poem, I have more of a sense of integrity and
have more respect for patients. Both empathy and respect
are two of the most significant practices in nursing and these
characteristics cannot simply be learned. They are imbedded
in us and are illuminated through our care of others.

More
Presenter: Kathy Smith
Faculty Advisor: Brad Harrell

There are many times in life when we connect with
another person and, regardless of how brief, it can affect
you both. As Dr. Bearing narrates her journey through
ovarian cancer in Wit, she reveals the emotion and
power involved in our everyday interactions. The poem
I wrote embodies the concept that we have a choice to
make with every person we encounter. We can choose
to embrace each moment and understand there are
battles each person struggles with that we may not know.
However, what we choose to do in each moment can
make a situation better or worse.
As a nurse, there are many implications in this poem
for practice. It is easy to focus most on those things that
are mandated: the rights for giving medications, charting
our assessments, and giving report. However, what if
there is more to health care than what we are taught in
school and orientation? How do you mandate this type
CONTINUED >

UNION UNIVERSITY FALL POSTER SESSION

7

nursing
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

of care? I do not believe it can be clearly mandated. If
this is true then we need to identify what obligation we
have to our patients and to each other.
We must decide for ourselves that there is importance
in making our interactions purposeful to provide the
best care to each patient. Take the time to make sure
a patient is as comfortable as possible when they are in
your care. Be cognizant of the words you use. Ensure
the way you describe a patient or procedure does not
have a patient feeling as though they are a widget on an
assembly line. You may be seeing a patient on a day in
their life when they are frightened or are shocked from
news anticipated or received. Remember the stress of your
job or your life does not give you permission to neglect
giving each patient the utmost respect with the care you
give. When you find yourself seasoned with experience
and the care you give comes easily to you, never forget
that patients need privacy, dignity, and value.
Would our system and environment improve if we
make a conscious effort to the people we serve to make
a positive impact above what is mandated? Every day,
despite where you are in your career, it is important to
appreciate that we are treating people, not: diseases,
room numbers, or worse, inconveniences. Regardless of
their situation, define for yourself your obligation and
remember each interaction offers an opportunity for more.
The Tree of Life and Caring
Presenter: Lexann Pate Bursi
Faculty Advisor: Brad Harrell
For me, trees have always been penetrating preachers.
I honor them when they stand alone. They are like
lonely persons. In their highest branches, the world
rustles, their roots rest in infinity; but they do not lose
themselves there, they struggle with all the force of their
lives for one thing only: to fulfill themselves according to
their own laws, to build up their own form, to represent
themselves. Nothing is more exemplary than a beautiful,
strong tree. When a tree is cut down and reveals its
naked death-wound to the sun, one can read its whole
history in the disk of its trunk: in the rings of its years,
its scars, its struggles, all the suffering, all the sickness,

8

UNION UNIVERSITY FALL POSTER SESSION

all the happiness and prosperity, the narrow years, the
attacks withstood, and the storms endured. A seed is
hidden within, a spark, a thought; I am life from eternal
life. The attempt and the risk that God took with me is
unique, unique in the form and veins of my skin, unique
the smallest play of leaves in my branches and the
smallest scar on my bark. I was made to form and reveal
the eternal in my smallest special detail. My strength
is trust. I live out the secret of my seed to the very end,
and I care for nothing else. I trust that God is in me.
When we cannot bear our lives any longer, then a tree
has something to say to us, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Be still! Be still! Look at me!
Life is not easy, life is not difficult.â&#x20AC;? Hope comes from the
kindness of strangers and long lost friends. Hope deferred
makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life
(Proverbs 13:12). We need people in our lives, because
our lives are fragile. Some of us end and begin with a
primal need for love. Let God speak within you, and your
thoughts will grow silent. You are anxious, because your
path leads away from home. But every step and every
day lead you back again. Home is neither here nor there.
Home is within you, or home is nowhere at all.
Both therapeutic touch and developing the nurse-client
relationship are two nursing implications in agreement
with the film, poem, and work of art. Therapeutic
touch is a vehicle for comfort, caring, and presence that
creates possibility. Therapeutic touch invites a shift from
disease-state focus to personhood focus that is freeing
and reawakens the essence of nursing. In developing
the nurse-client relationship, trust, respect, professional
intimacy, empathy, and power are of upmost importance.
Trust is critical, because the client is in a vulnerable
position. Respect is the recognition of the inherent
dignity, worth, uniqueness of every individual, regardless
of personal attributes, status, and nature of health
problem. Professional intimacy is the type of care and
services that nurses provide. Empathy is the expression of
understanding. Empathy includes appropriate emotional
distance from the client to ensure objectivity and an
appropriate professional response. Lastly, the nurse-client
relationship is one of unequal power. The appropriate use
of power, in a caring manner, enables the nurse to partner
with the client to meet their needs. n

poisoning, we accomplished structure-based de novo ligand
design and synthesis of small molecules with the potential
to bind PA and block its proteolytic activation. Structurebased De novo design was accomplished with a suite of
molecular modeling tools that include Biopolymer module
and Docking suite of Sybyl X 2.0 on a ThinkCenter M
Series desktop. A simple, yet highly efficient solutionphase parallel synthesis methodology was then employed
to synthesize the â&#x20AC;&#x153;virtual leadâ&#x20AC;? and a library of its structural
analogues. This novel approach offers the advantage of
selectively targeting and inactivating the bacterial toxin
and effectively combat the threat posed by anthrax. n

UNION UNIVERSITY FALL POSTER SESSION

9

social work
The Effect of Student Athletes’ Participation on
Performance in the Classroom
Presenters: Shanika Jenkins and Chelsea Young
Faculty Advisor: Rhonda Hudson
Student athletes face tremendous stressors. In order to
continue playing, they must maintain certain academic
guidelines. The researchers intend to conduct a qualitative
study with the student-athletes to ask how they are
coping with the strains of two demanding forces: being
a student and an athlete. Qualitative interviews that
compare athletes and their academic performance help
gain an understanding and allow you to see through their
perspective. The criteria involved 18 undergraduate
students, 6 sophomores, 6 juniors, and 6 seniors in a
Southeastern University. Men and women basketball,
men and women golf, and soccer team were evaluated.
Participants were between the age of 18-22 years old. The
researchers are going to do a snowball sampling method to
recruit the participants. The type of analysis the researchers
will use will be typology and word cloud methods.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Effects
on Grade Point Average
Presenters: Jamie Blurton and Hope Putman
Faculty Advisor: Rhonda Hudson
The purpose of this research is to find out whether
undergraduate students with Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder (also known as ADHD) have
a lower cumulative grade point average (GPA) than
those without ADHD. This study will query 420 male
and female undergraduate students between the ages of
18-25, which is approximately 10% of the undergraduate
student population, using the Adult ADHD Self-Report
Scale (ASRS-v1.1) Symptom Checklist (Kessler, Adler,
Demler, Faraone, Hiripi, Howes, et al. 2005). The data
will be analyzed using frequencies, means for numerical
data, percentages and frequencies for categories.
The researchers will also treat ordinal/Likert scale as
numerical and get means and or percentages. When
comparing means between groups, a t- test will be used.

10

UNION UNIVERSITY FALL POSTER SESSION

Students’ Understanding and Lived Experience
of Faith and Learning Through the Use of a
Christ-Centered Core Value at a Southeastern
Baptist University
Presenters: Makenzie Baker and Tayler Terry
Faculty Advisor: Rhonda Hudson
The integration of faith and learning is a popular topic
for professionals at many faith based universities. Little
research has been done regarding student’s perception
of the topic. The purpose of this study is to collect
qualitative information on student’s perception of the
integration of faith and learning by understanding the
university’s core values. The researcher hypothesizes
that the student’s perception of the core value “ChristCenteredness” effects their integration of faith and
learning. The study will include 50 under graduate students
from two sections of Dr. David Malone’s World Literature
II (ENG 202) spring class at a Christian University in
the South-Eastern United States. The researcher will
use a questionnaire by Burton (2003) to elicit qualitative
information. The analyses will include frequencies and
percentages and a typology of word cloud methods.
Non-traditional College Students: The Effect of
Coping Strategies on Control Belief
Presenters: Jade Williams, Kyleigh Carter, Cassie Osborn,
and LaDawn Steele
Faculty Advisor: Rhonda Hudson
The purpose of this research is to study the coping
strategies among nontraditional university students.
Research has shown that even though they have extenuating
life circumstances, nontraditional students have developed
healthier coping strategies than that of their traditional
counterparts (Forbus, Mejta, & Newbold, 2011).While
studying the coping strategies of nontraditional students,
the researchers will use the control belief scale to measure
the effectiveness of the students’ coping strategies. The
control belief scale has two 21 item sub scales that measure
the perceived control people feel that they have over
controllable and uncontrollable events in life. Analyses will
include frequencies, percentages, and means; total scale score
means; and t-tests (two groups) and ANOVA (3+ groups).

This research explores the notion of tension between
three sororities on a private Christian university campus
in the southeastern United States. It draws from previous
studies that address the formation of identity, group
standards, and stereotypes within sororities. This research
poses the research question of whether or not contention
exists between sororities. The study will include 100
participants, who are sorority members, who will complete
demographic and TENSE scale questions. The sorority
members vary in age, race, and levels of involvement in the
organizations. The data will be analyzed using frequencies,
percentages, and means. Means of each subscale and the
total scale will also be employed. Additionally, t-tests and
ANOVA will be used to analyze the data.

The researchers will investigate self-esteem between
freshman and senior females at a Southeastern Christian
University. Females often have a low self-esteem, which
influences many different parts of their lives, such as the
way they conduct themselves and the way in which they
interact with others (Moksnes, Moljord, Espnes, & Byrne,
2010). Throughout history, females have struggled with this
problem, regardless of age, race, or culture. It seems that
starting in childhood, females struggle with self-esteem and
feeling good about themselves, but it appears that as females
grow older, they develop ways to cope, some successfully
but some unsuccessfully. This study hopes to use research
findings to compare average self-esteem scores using the
Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale as the measure. Analyses will
include descriptive analyses for frequencies, percentages
and means, and a t-test to compare two groups. n